This is SAENís first newsletter. I hope
that you find it to be both informative and educational.
In the six year history of Stop Animal
Exploitation NOW! (The history of SAEN is discussed in Leading the
Fight), weíve never done a real newsletter, although it was always
a goal. However, weíve reached a pivotal
point in SAENís history. We had to have a
larger format to report on all of the exciting campaigns that are
underway. Please let us know your opinion
of this issue of The Defender, and how we can make it better for
you.

The last several months have been some of the busiest we have ever
seen.World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week (April 21st Ė
28th) was an amazing period. By working with grassroots
activists across the U.S. we were able to put the truth about animal
experimentation in front of millions of people. We also launched our first
website for World Week. You can view the site at www.wlalw.org. Our
World Week Roundup gives you the highlights of this week of
united action.

In 2001 SAEN filed the largest Official Complaint in history with the
United States Department of Agriculture/Animal & Plant Health Inspection
Service (USDA/APHIS), exposing abuses within dozens of laboratories.
But
getting the USDA to act upon this complaint has been almost impossible. Complaint Update will tell you what we have been able to find
out and get you plugged into the next phase of our campaign, which
includes a petition drive.

Canít They Count?Tells you the facts about our latest
Official Complaint against Harvard and Yale. Together these two labs lied
to the USDA about over 1300 primates. Our investigations caught them and
the USDA napping.

On May 25th I had the opportunity to speak at a local rally
against the product testing performed by the Procter & Gamble Corporation.
Working with area activists to expose the continuing suffering of animals
within P&G labs was a very sobering experience. P&G Report
discusses the rally and our plans for working with activists to fight P&G.

The escalating crisis in primate experimentation has led us to launch
our next major project, National Primate Freedom Week
(August 24th through September 2nd) which is
discussed in the article of the same name. Our goal for this event is to
bring activists together to fight for the liberation of primates across
the U.S.

Our article about the national animal protection conference,
AR2002 (June 28th Ė July 3rd in Washington
D.C.), discusses SAENís participation in the conference.

SAEN Receives Matching Grant announces the wonderful
support that SAEN has received from the Compassion for Animals Foundation,
and how your donation can make the grant literally twice as large.

As I said earlier, this is our premier issue of The Defender. I
feel very strongly that this new format gives us the opportunity to
provide you with a much better picture of the many ways in which we fight
for animal liberation, and plan to publish The Defender
semi-annually.

Everything we do is made possible by the support of activists like you. Whether it is through letter-writing, protest-planning, or financial
contributions, you are responsible for everything we do.
Your letters help
to put pressure on public officials, your participation in activist events
helps to educate the public, and your donations make it possible for us to
work for the animals. I cannot thank you enough.

It is my sincerest hope that this newsletter will motivate you to aid
us in our continuing struggle for the animals. Your contribution will give
us the ability to keep fighting for the release of all animals that are
imprisoned in laboratories. Without you, SAEN simply would not exist.
With
you, and SAEN, there is hope for the animals.